Angie's Project coming to Plainview

By STEVE BYRNS AgriLife Extension

Published 6:45 am, Sunday, April 3, 2011

The Texas AgriLife Extension Service will conduct Annie's Project, an educational curriculum to help women learn the agricultural business, during April and May on the Plainview campus of South Plains College.

The course's six sessions are set for 6-9 p.m. on April 11 and 18, and on May 2, 9, 16 and 23. All the classes are set on Mondays.

Dr. Jason Johnson, AgriLife Extension economist at Stephenville and the project's state coordinator, said the mission of Annie's Project is to empower farm women to be better business partners through networking with others and by managing and organizing the critical information needed to be successful in agriculture.

"The hard fact is that over 90 percent of women usually end up managing their personal and farm business finances at some point in their lives through death, divorce or disability," Johnson said.

"This program is based on the experiences of farm and ranch wives who have found themselves in similar situations.

"The program strives to help women with a passion for business and involvement to gain confidence in understanding the complexities of the agricultural business in a relaxed, safe environment surrounded by others in similar situations," he said.

"Often farm women don't feel comfortable in the coffee shop network that's so familiar to many farm and ranch men. Annie's Project provides a place where they can learn from local agricultural professionals and other class members."

The curriculum will include information on risk management in the areas of production, marketing, financing and human resources. Estate planning resources also will be discussed.

Along with AgriLife Extension, the project is being co-sponsored by Texas Tech University and the Cooperative Extension Program at Prairie View A&M University.

Individual registration for the complete course of six sessions is $50 per person and covers the materials for the entire course. The class size is limited to 30, so early registration is encouraged.

Those interested should contact Deana Sageser, AgriLife Extension family and consumer sciences agent in Hale County, at 806-291-5270, or enroll at the Agri Life Extension office in Hale County at 225 Broadway, Suite 6 in Plainview.

For more information about Annie's Project, call Johnson at 254-968-4144.